Page 73 of The Queen

Frustration swelled, and my hands turned frantic, picking and clawing at any imperfection. “I know this opens. Open!”

My fingernail caught under the petal of a carved flower at the edge of the archway, and I wrenched my hand away, ripping my nail to the quick. “Ouch!” Blood oozed from my torn flesh.

My mates both watched me with concern.

“Are you alright?” Grey took a step toward me.

“What happened?” Lex’s words tangled with Grey’s.

I mumbled out that I was fine, and I stuck my bleeding finger in my mouth to soothe the sting. No sooner had I taken a step back from the wall than a soft grinding sound reached my ears.

The slab of stone that looked to have been the back wall of the decorative relief slid downward. Leaving behind a doorway into the shadows.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Saphyra

It was the smell that hit me first. I expected decay, or at least stagnant dust, but that wasn’t what I found behind the carefully hidden entryway. It smelled like sunflowers and a dewy spring morning.

Light from the open door spilled in, outlining two rows of sarcophagi. Three on each side and another, more elaborate one against the far wall of the long rectangular mausoleum. Above the stone coffin, opposite the entrance, was a stained glass window. It allowed a muted glow to penetrate the thick blanket of overgrowth covering the outside of the building, illuminating the otherwise dark room.

Under the delicate scent of sunflowers and dew was a sweet hint of caramel that reminded me of my mother. The smell validated my memories. I hadn’t doubted our time spent here, but tangible proof boosted my confidence. The gold datapad should be somewhere in this room. I just had to find it.

Hiding places were limited. The walls were carved stone reliefs, like the doorway with the flowering arch outside. Not many nooks or shelves to tuck a tablet sized object out of sight.

“Saphyra.” Grey’s voice broke through my concentration.

I dragged my attention away from the sculpted rock and turned to find my beta mate staring at me. The bond was full of static, like overexcited confusion.

“What Grey? What’s wrong?” I asked.

Lex was a step behind him. His expression was drawn, as if he’d seen a ghost, and his lips were pressed together in a flat line.

I whipped around, scanning the room, but everything was the same. Seven ornate, if dusty, stone boxes. Muted sunlight streamed through multi-colored stained glass, casting rays of brilliance over the sarcophagi at the far end of the mausoleum. Nothing was out of place. “You’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”

Grey shot a glance at Lex over his shoulder. But my blond mate was no help. “Do you know what this is?”

I spun slowly, studying the area more carefully. “It’s a burial chamber… tomb.” A chill crawled up my spine.

“Did you look at the inscriptions, little one?” He asked, his words soft and reverent.

Goosebumps broke out over my skin, and the downy hair stood up. “Noooo…”

The look on their faces was starting to scare me. I’d been so focused on my search for hidden cubbies, and my hazy memory, I hadn’t actually looked at anything closely. When I was a child, I would’ve been too small to read the epitaphs, but now that Grey had mentioned it, I was drawn to the swirling text.

Here lies Conley, Prince of Pyraxis. Loving mate of Queen Opal of Verden. Cherished brother of Brantley of Pyxis.

Below that was a set of dates that outlined his birth and death and a star map highlighting Pyraxis in relation to Verden.

The stone box beside it was similarly decorated, but the depiction of the planets was different. Carved into the lid was the same looping script.

Here lies Brantley, Prince of Pyxis. Loving mate of Queen Opal of Verden. Cherished brother of Conley of Pyraxis.

A second mate to the same queen. My lips parted as I pieced together what this meant. Brantley’s birth and death dates were the exact same as his brothers, thousands of years ago. The star chart was of Pyxis this time.

I glanced at my men by the door, my heart pounding in my throat. Was this true? Did one of my ancestors have two mates?

I hurried to the next coffin.

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